FI113900B - Passenger control system for persons - Google Patents

Abstract

In a tracking system especially for persons suffering from a memory disorder, each tracked person is fitted with a portable personal monitoring unit containing a receiver component and a transmitter component connected by radio to an alarm unit. The monitoring unit send messages to the alarm unit. The alarm unit sends the messages onward to a monitoring room. In a low-current standby state, only the receiver component operates. In an operating state, the transmitter component also operates. The monitoring unit is in the operating state when the monitored person has exited from the operating area, and otherwise in the standby state. The monitoring device enters the standby state or operating state automatically by means of activating and deactivating units situated along passageways leading to the operating area, operating by inductive data transmission. The system also includes a locating unit for locating a monitoring unit in the operating state.

Description

113900

Access control system for persons

The invention relates to a personal access control system comprising a monitoring unit carried by each person to be monitored, at least one alarm unit in radio communication with the monitoring unit 5 and a control unit communicating with the alarm unit via a communication network.

The aging population in particular suffers a great deal from different degrees of memory impairment. People with mild memory impairment are able to take care of their own daily chores and can live at home. People with more severe memory impairment 10 usually live in retirement homes or nursing homes. In a familiar environment, people with memory disorders usually cope well, either independently or with the help of medical staff. However, such people do not survive with their help outside their familiar environment, and for the sake of their own safety, the free passage of persons with impaired memory has to be controlled and restricted. If for some reason 15 patients with memory impairment get lost in their own living environment, it is important that they can be located and found quickly.

Various technical systems have been developed for access control and localization of persons with memory impairment. FI 92969 discloses a health monitoring device I comprising a transmitter unit attached to a wrist and a separate ...; 20 receiver units. Moving the bracelet too far from the receiver unit will immediately cause an alarm. The alarm can be further routed from the receiver to a centralized alarm reception point, e.g., via a security telephone. US 5714932 discloses a security system comprising a plurality of portable transmitters with a unique identification code in radio communication with the central processing unit. When the signal level of the transmitter drops • · «: below the set threshold, the central unit issues an alarm. The central unit further comprises bearing and distance measuring means for determining the direction and distance of the .... I transmitter from the central unit.

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* ·; · 'In these installations, the transmitter accompanying the person being monitored continuously transmits: Y: 30 radio signals to the receiving unit. Therefore, the transmitter power consumption is: * ·. · High. Therefore, keeping the transmitter in working order requires that the transmitter be equipped with an • * effective battery and replaced frequently enough.

A further disadvantage of the above described apparatuses is that they have an inaccurate alarm limit because they are directly determined by the strength of the radio signal between the transmitter and the receiver. Thus, for example, such a security system cannot distinguish whether a supervised person is safely inside the building or outside the building in the vicinity of the building.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved system for controlling access and locating a person with a memory impairment in particular. The system of the invention can significantly reduce the drawbacks and drawbacks of prior art systems.

The system of the invention is characterized in what is disclosed in the independent claim. Certain preferred embodiments of the invention are set forth in the dependent claims.

The invention relates to a access control system, especially for persons suffering from memory disorders. In the system according to the invention, each person covered by the system is provided with an accompanying personal tracking unit having a receiver part and a transmitter part. By means of the transmitter part, the tracking unit 15 can send messages over the radio to the alarm unit included in the system. The monitoring unit sends a message to the alarm unit, for example, when a supervised person leaves his / her authorized operating area. The alarm unit forwards incoming messages to a system control room, which takes appropriate action based on the incoming messages, such as search * 20 jobs. The basic idea of the system according to the invention is that the tracking unit * can be set to standby mode with only the receiver part in operation, or: with the transmitter part in operation. In the invention, the tracking unit is brought into the operating state transmitting radio messages only after the supervised person has left the authorized operating area. When the person is within the permitted operating range, the tracking device is in standby mode, so that its power consumption is very low.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the tracking units are provided with a unique identification code to be attached to messages sent by the tracking unit.

In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the system further comprises: Y: 30 at least one activation unit providing activation commands, and a deactivation unit providing activation commands: wherein the tracking unit is in a standby or operating state. Preferably, the activation and deactivation units are located in an authorized operating area along a path leading to it.

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In a third preferred embodiment of the invention, the activation and deactivation commands are transmitted from the activation and deactivation unit to the tracking unit by inductive communication.

In a fourth preferred embodiment of the invention, the ice system further comprises a positioning unit for locating an operating tracking unit.

An advantage of the rigid system according to the invention is that the power consumption of the tracking unit is very low. Therefore, the monitoring unit will remain operational for a very long time without any maintenance.

A further advantage of the invention is that the "permitted" range of movement of the person being monitored therein can be very precisely defined, for example, in the interior of a particular building.

A further advantage of the invention is that it is versatile. In addition to access control, the device can also be used as a security device for personnel in installations where personnel may be attacked.

Another advantage of the invention is that it is inexpensive in manufacturing cost and suitable for industrial manufacture.

The invention will now be described in detail. Reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which: • ·

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Figure 1 illustrates, by way of example, a system according to the invention and Figure 2 shows the communication interfaces of the system according to the invention.

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Figure 1 illustrates, by way of example, one access control and positioning system according to the invention and its separate components at a fundamental level.

! The system according to the invention comprises a monitoring unit 10 for the person to be monitored, an alarm unit 12 located in or near the operating area 14 of the person, and pairs of activations to be mounted on the operating paths 20; unit units 16 and deactivation units 18, the operation of which is controlled by a common control unit, ·] ·, unit 36. For the purposes of this disclosure, the area of operation is defined as the area whose inner! . on the side, the supervised person can move freely without causing an alarm. In the case of a night-time supervised person with a memory disorder, such a range of activities is typically, for example, the person's own home, retirement home, or nursing home. The area of operation may be confined to the interior of the building or may include a fenced yard. The passages in the operating area are the passages through which the 4113900 sample area passes or exits, ie practically the building's exterior doors and gates in the courtyard fences. The inventive waste system further comprises a control room 22 communicating with the alarm unit 12 via a communication network 24 and a positioning unit 26 for locating the monitoring units 10.

The tracking unit 10 is an electrically powered battery or accumulator device comprising an inductive receiver portion 28 and a transmitter portion 30. The tracking unit is preferably shaped as a wristband for the subject to be monitored. The tracking unit can be in two different modes: standby mode or transmit mode.

10 In standby mode, only the receiver portion of the unit is in operation, resulting in a very low power consumption of the entire monitoring unit. Correspondingly, in the transmission mode, the transmitter part of the tracking unit is also in operation, whereby the power consumption of the whole unit is obviously significantly higher. During normal operation of the waste system, where the supervised person stays within the operating range, the monitoring device is in standby mode and thus consumes very little energy. The monitoring unit has an indicator 32 which indicates at regular intervals, for example about every six minutes shall be provided a light and / or Audio Warning-unit data link to be operational. Preferably such a detector is a light emitting diode or LED detector. The transmitter portion of the tracking unit is programmed to turn on at regular intervals, preferably every 1 to 2 hours, for testing the battery 34 *: * ·: 20. If the battery voltage is too low, the transmitter section transmits the battery warning transmissions to the alarm unit 12 at random transmission intervals. The need for battery replacement is also indicated by the detector 32, preferably with light signals. Seu-. · · \ There is still a panic button 46 on the beach unit which can be used to move the unit immediately: ·,. ti operating mode.

• · '. . · 25 The activation unit 16 and the deactivation unit 18 are devices for transmitting communication signals, which are placed on the paths 20 of the operating area 14 in pairs such that: '': the deactivating unit is mounted along the path inside the boundary of the operating area 14, e.g. Correspondingly, the activation unit is positioned at a point outside the operating range, for example outside the front door.

The operation of the units is controlled by a common control unit such that the activation unit; · '16 and the deactivation unit 18 transmit alternately, preferably 4 times per second:: activation and deactivation commands of the monitoring unit 10 using inductive communication ·, ·. In this way, a deactivation field 42 located mainly inside the operating area 14 and an activation field 44 located mainly outside the operating area 44 is generated at the passage. The activation and deactivating units are connected to the building power network and preferably have battery backup for power outages.

113900 The monitoring unit 12 is a device comprising a radio receiver for receiving radio messages transmitted by the tracking devices 10 and for transmitting the transmitter / modem messages to the control room 22. The monitoring unit alternately listens to the frequencies used by the monitoring units 10. Preferably, the alarm unit listens to the frequency of the Kuta-5 for 1.3 seconds at a time. When the alarm unit receives a message sent by the tracking unit 10, it forwards the message to the control room 22. The message preferably includes at least the time, the tracking code of the tracking unit 10 or the person carrying the tracking unit and the reason for the alert. notification of 10 persons returning to operating range, notification of pressing panic button or notification of need to replace battery in monitoring unit. Preferably, the alarm unit is provided with a memory in which the latest alarm events are recorded together with the time of day. The unit has a battery backup that keeps the unit running for short power outages. The Alarm Unit represents a prior art structure commonly used in telecommunication technology, and will not be further described herein.

Control room 22 is the place where messages sent by the alarm units are received. Preferably, the control room comprises a computer continuously connected to the communication network 24, the database of which contains the personal and contact information of the bearers of each monitoring unit 10 and the time allowed for each supervised person to be absent from the operating area. The control room can also, at its simplest, be a cell phone or pager, to which alarm messages are sent. The control room continuously monitors the status information of all monitoring units 10 connected to the S * I »· 'system. The control room will, of course, have control staff who will keep an eye on the messages coming to the control room, and take appropriate action accordingly. They come to the control room at night

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25 messages can be routed directly to, for example, a security guard operating in the area, Γ * ': thus avoiding costly 24-hour on-call duty.

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The access control and positioning system according to the invention operates in the following way: When the person to be supervised is within the operating area 14, the tracking unit · ;;; 10 is in a low-power standby mode. As the person traverses passage 20, * ··· 30 as near an exterior door, the tracking unit simultaneously arrives at a deactivation field 42 created by a deactivation unit ·· 18, while the tracking device receives deactivation commands, so the tracking unit remains in standby mode. you. If the supervised person goes through passage 20, he or she arrives at the activation field »tl: 44, where the tracking unit 10 receives activation commands. Thanks to the activation commands, the tracking device enters the operating mode and starts sending the exit message contained in the tracking unit's own identification code to the alarm unit. Each 6 113900 beach unit has its own unique identification code, which is always included in the message sent by the tracking unit. This way, messages coming to the alarm unit are always known from which tracking unit they come from. The alarm unit 12 receives the exit message and forwards the exit message 5 through the communication network 24 to the control room 22. Thus, the control unit knows that the supervised person has left the operating area and can take the necessary action.

The monitoring unit will only be activated when the supervised person leaves the activation field. This allows the supervised person to, for example, open the front door to incoming guests without causing an alarm. The club unit 10 can also be activated by pressing the panic button 46 as needed, even if the panic button is pressed within the operating range or in the deactivation field. Pressing the panic button causes the tracking unit to send an alarm message to the alarm unit, which is then forwarded to the control room. The panic button activated tracking unit can be deactivated by holding 15 magnets next to the tracking unit until transmissions stop.

If the supervised person returns to operating area 14, he or she will first pass through the Akti field 44 and then immediately through the deactivation field 42. The monitoring unit 10 thus receives last the deactivation commands that may monitor; unit standby. Before going into standby mode, the tracking unit will send. . 20 alarms limited number of arrival messages. The alarm unit transmits the arrival; messages to the control room where it is known that the person being supervised has returned to the operating area.

* '·': Due to the messages sent by the alarm unit, the control room 22 always has real-time information on whether the persons being monitored are within or outside the operating area. The control unit can be individually assigned to each supervised entity: v, allowable absences prior to the start of searches. Thus, for example, a person suffering from mild memory impairment may be allowed a period of absence of 3-4 hours, '; 'Which enables the supervised person to handle the day-to-day running of business, such as mail fetching and commercial and banking transactions. Similarly, difficult: 30 people with dementia can be set to an allowed time off of only 5 minutes, for example, if it is known that they will not be able to survive on their own • · *! own.

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If the person to be supervised does not return to the area of activity within the permissible period of absence, the control room shall take steps to determine the person's location. First, the location 35 is sought by telephone calling either the supervisor's own i 7 113900 (if the supervisor has one) or someone in the area of operation, such as the supervisor. The control room can also be contacted by a security company operating in the area, where the security guard will check the situation at the object under supervision. If the above-mentioned methods do not determine the whereabouts of the person to be monitored, a search is initiated using the positioning unit 26 of the system according to the invention.

The positioning unit 26 is a directional device for determining in which direction the tracking unit 10 transmitting an exit message is. The locating unit includes a keypad for setting the frequency channel to be tracked and scrolling through codes, and a display 10 for displaying the frequency channel number, message signal strength and identification code contained in the exit message. In addition, the positioning unit includes an amplifier for adjusting the received message signal to an area suitable for successful diversion. The method and apparatus for orienting a positioning unit is a technique known per se and is widely used e.g. 15 of Tracker Oy's dog radars.

The system according to the invention may include a plurality of alarm units 12 communicating with the same control room 22 over a communication network 24. Thus, one control room can centrally monitor several different operating areas 14. In one preferred embodiment of the invention, the system uses 100 frequencies and frequency. One alarm unit can be programmed with one hundred different identification codes, that is, it can convey messages transmitted by one hundred different monitoring units 10 to the control room 22. The monitoring units vary by:: ··· message transmission intervals, allowing for multiple simultaneous alarms. · · ·. on the same frequency channel.

• · · t · »• * ·; Figure 2 illustrates, by way of example, communication between interfaces between different parts of the system according to the invention. The interface 1 between the activation unit 16 and the deactivation unit 18 and the monitoring unit 10 uses wireless, preferably inductive, data transmission. Preferably, the data transmission is carried out using a frequency of 4.8 kHz. The bit string to be transmitted consists of a synchronization part and a forthcoming one. _ 30 of the actual data part.

Tracking unit 10 and alarm unit 12, tracking unit and positioning unit:. The interface 26 between the two is indicated by reference numeral 2 in Figure 2. transmitting radio communications, preferably at a frequency of 433 MHz. Depending on country restrictions, the monitoring unit will preferably use either 8 m / m (EU countries) or 25 mW (Finland, Sweden) radio transmissions, but other transmission powers are also possible.

Reference numeral 3 denotes the interface between the alarm unit and the communication network 24 and reference numeral 4 denotes the interface between the communication network and the control room. In these RA-5 interfaces, data can be transmitted using either a wireless or a wired connection. The communication network itself may be a wired network such as a telephone network or the Internet or a wireless network such as a mobile telephone network.

Some preferred embodiments of the rigid system according to the invention have been described above. The invention is particularly well suited for access control and localization of persons with memory impairment, but it can also be used, for example, to control the movement of young children in homes and kindergartens. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the rigid system according to the invention is located in a hospital environment. In this embodiment, the monitoring units 10 included in the system are provided, in addition to patients in need of supervision, to a portion of hospital staff who may be exposed to violent patients during work. The attacked person can then call for help by pressing the panic button 46 on the monitoring unit, which is then transmitted to the control room via an alarm unit in the patient room or ward, so control room 22 can direct the auxiliary forces to the correct location. If the alarm has come from a monitoring unit of 20 people on the care staff, the control room is aware of this; a case of violence inside, alerting the security guard.

* »·«:: The access control system according to the invention can also be easily imitated; the ability of supervised persons to locate internally by placing a deactivation unit-

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tie 18 in suitable locations eg in hospital corridors and rooms. Each deaf-

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The 25 tuning units can be programmed to send their own unique locating code, which is stored in the memory of the tracking unit 10 each time the supervised entity bypasses • the deactivation unit. When the supervised person presses the panic button *; ' 46, the tracking unit transmits the latest bypassed deactivation unit identification code to the control room in connection with the alarm message. This is how the control room knows exactly: '1: 30 where the emergency is.

• · · * .1. · The internal positioning of the persons being monitored can also be implemented by tracking: .1 ·· device 10 to send a positioning message to the control room each time the tracking device receives a new positioning code sent by the deactivation unit (10). Inside the building 35, monitoring receivers may be located which transmit the positioning message to the monitor. Thus, the control room always knows in real time the location of all supervised persons. Preferably, the positioning message can be transmitted at minimum power while keeping the tracking device power consumption low.

As described above, the security of personnel can also be improved by the system of invention 5 in various agencies where staff may be confronted with violent clients.

The invention is not limited to the solutions just described, but the inventive idea can be applied in numerous ways within the scope of the claims.

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Claims (11)

A personal access control system comprising a tracking unit (10) carried by each person to be monitored, the tracking unit having a receiving section (28) and a transmitting section (30), which monitoring unit can be put into a standby mode with only the receiving section in operation; wherein both the receiving section and the transmitting section are operable, at least one control unit (12) communicating with the monitoring units via a radio communication network (24), characterized in that it further comprises at least one activation unit (16) giving activation commands and at least 10 one deactivation unit (18) which issues deactivation commands, which create an activation field (44) and a deactivation field (42) around the activation unit (16) and the deactivation unit (18) to bring the monitoring unit (10) into a standby or operational state. System according to Claim 1, characterized in that the transmission of information from the activation unit (16) and the deactivation unit (18) to the monitoring unit (10) takes place via wireless data transmission. 3. System enligt patent krav 1 eller 2, kännetecknat av att aktiveringsenheten (16) and deactivatingenheten (18) and placerade vid en rutt (20) som leder till et vidantern begränsat function functions (14) för att alstra et aktiveringsfält (44) sakligen utanför funktionsomrädet och för att alstra et deaktiveringsfält (42) interest- 5 sakligen innanför funktionsomrädet. System according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the activation unit (16) and the deactivation unit (18) are located in a peripheral area of operation (14) along a path (20) leading to an activation field (44) substantially outside the area of operation and mainly to create a deactivation field (42). . inside the operating area. * · The system enligt faces the patent craven 1-3, the reverse link the active gene (16) and the deactivated (18) and the placerade vid Rutten (20), the att passage genome Rutten avslöjar färdriktningen hos Personen som bär spämingsenheten (10). 10 System according to one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the ac- '' *: activation unit (16) and the deactivation unit (18) are disposed along the passage (20) so that passing through the passage reveals a tracking unit. (10) bearing human. · · 1. 25 kg travel direction. • »• ·» 5. System enligt face av patentkraven 1-4, kännetecknat av att deaktiveringsenheten (18), and an attnant att sung en individualell localization, och att det finns before going to sp lagings den mottagna localization. A system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the deactivation unit (18) is arranged to transmit a unique location code, and that the tracking unit has a memory for storing the received location code. 6. System enligt patentkrav 5, kännetecknat av att meddelandet som sänds av spämingsenheten (10) innehäller en lokaliseringskod som är lagrad i enhetens wherever. System according to Claim 5, characterized in that the monitoring unit: '·. · The message sent by KÖ (10) contains the location code stored in the unit's memory. • f • f • · · • »» • • 11 113900 7. System enligt face av patentkraven 1-6, kännetecknat av att spärningsenhe-20 terna (10) försedda med en individell identifieringskod som ansluts account de frän spämingsenheten sänd meddelandena. • • m t I · *. j 8. System enligt face av patentkraven 1 -7, kännetecknat av att i spärningsenhe- I * ..: ten (10) dessutom finns en paniktangent (46) f att atting spämingsenheten i funk-, · · ·, 25 tionsläge. System according to one of Claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the tracking units (10) are provided with a unique identification code to be attached to the messages transmitted by the tracking unit. A system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the monitoring unit (10) further comprises a panic button (46) for activating the monitoring unit. The system enligt face av patent kraven 1-8, the turn-off method (10) dessutom finns en detektor (32) för att detektera spärningsenhetens functionstillständ. 30 System according to one of Claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the monitoring unit (10) further comprises a detector (32) for indicating the operational status of the monitoring unit. 10. System enligt nägot av patentkraven 1-9, kännetecknat av att spärningsenhe-.:. ten (10) bildad som ett armband att fästas vid den controllerade personens arm. «· * · •« · t I • » System according to one of Claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the tracking unit (10) is designed as a wristband which is attached to the hand of the person being monitored. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the system further comprises a positioning unit (26) for locating a tracking unit (10) in an operating state. > * · · '' 1. Passagekontrollsystem för personer, innefattande en spamingsenhet (10) som • bärs av shade controllerade person, colors spämingsenheten har en motagardel (28) 20 och en saundardel (30) och vilken spamingsenhet kan bringas i funktionsberedskap, i «*; ,. 'I am talking about the motor function, the function function, the function of the Bade motor and the function function, the alarm system (12) som ir i ra: dioförbindelse med spärningsenhetema, samt ett controlrum (22) som er i contact med alarmenheten via et dataöverföringsnät (24), kännetecknat av att det dessut- 25 om innefattar ätminstone en aktiveringsenhet (16) som ger aktiveringskommandon, ···, och ätminstone en deactivingsenhet (18) som ger deaktiveringskommandon, vilka (16) deaktiveringsenhet (18) runt sig alstrar ett aktiveringsfält. - '* (44) och et deaktiveringsfält (42), för att bringa spämingsenheten (10) i functions- • * · :: beredskap eller funktionsläge. : λ 30 • | t ···. 2. System enligt patentkrav 1, kännetecknat av att överföring av data frän active (16) and deaktiveringsenheten (18) account spämingsenheten (10) sker med trädlös dataöverföring. 12 113900 10 113900 11. System enligt nägot av patentkraven 1-10, kännetecknat av att systemet • ·:! i 35 dessutom innefattar en lokaliseringsenhet (26) för att lokalisera en spärningsenhet * · · :: (10) i funktionsläge.